What steps can you take to upskill in your current profession?

The business world has become increasingly open to women in the last few decades, and this now sees many talented female professionals working across all sectors.

This is naturally a great thing – not only for equality but also for using the unique traits that female workers possess to help the whole business sector grow. Although you might currently work in a business role, it is likely that you will be not only looking to continuously develop new skills, but also move up the career ladder. 

Upskilling is key to this and the process of improving the skills you have and/or developing new ones. This can sometimes seem tricky when already working though, as you will likely use the same skills each day in your current job. This makes it tough to stretch yourself and pick up fresh skills when busy at work. 

It is possible, however, to upskill in your current profession, and the five tips below give some effective ways to go about it.

1) Learn new skills through study 

Anyone looking to upskill in their current profession should seriously think about academic study. Aston University’s online DBA is a great example of the kind of course that can come in handy. Not only does the online mode of study make it easy to fit into your schedule, but it also contains modules to help develop your skills in key areas such as applied research methods in business.

It is this ability to not only hone existing skills but also develop new ones that makes going back to school so worthwhile. Studying the right business course at university will also bring you up to date with the latest ideas in business and fine-tune the skills you need to implement them.

Studying a business course will also see you interacting with other students (this can be done online for distance learning programs) and building up skills in areas such as teamwork, leadership, and communication. 

2) Keep an eye out for in-house training courses 

Willingness to learn in business is important because it shows employers that you are committed to fulfilling your potential and working hard to be the best. Upskilling is key to this, and in-house training is another great way to go about it. 

The right in-house training can be very useful. Most companies now will invest in this area, and this means that you should be able to find a list of available courses from your HR department. 

Whether it is courses on how to be more assertive, how to deal with conflict, or how to use IT systems more confidently, there can often be a range of options that can develop your skills in business. By taking the time to complete in-house training, you will find yourself equipped with new skills to further your career. 

3) Exchange ideas with colleagues 

Although this might not be the first thing that springs to mind, your own colleagues could actually be a great aid for upskilling in your current role. While we might sometimes not pay too much attention to them when busy, the people you work with can often have valuable information to pass on. 

It is therefore a good tip to interact with colleagues who have the skills that you want to improve on personally. You may, for example, notice that a colleague has excellent MS Excel skills and speak with them to improve your own. 

On the other hand, you might notice that a colleague has great people skills and improve your own by getting tips from them. This might be a little tricky in the hustle and bustle of a busy working day, but you could try to pick their brains first thing or at the end of the day. 

4) Read books and helpful articles online 

Although you can do much in work to upskill in your current role, all female professionals could use their time out of work to achieve this. A great example of this is taking time to read general business books and/or respected books from figures within your sector.  

Books such as this can often expose you to new ideas and teach you new skills to bring into your current job. Whether you pick up one on better time management or one on how to improve your communications skills, there is so much that you can learn from them as a businessperson.

As well as books, the internet is also a great source of articles for upskilling. There are lots of helpful websites out there now that are packed full of inspirational business articles and pieces on new skills to build. This makes heading online in your spare time a superb way to develop a whole host of fresh skills to bring back into work. 

5) Try the latest webinars and podcasts 

We have already mentioned how heading online to read the latest business articles could help you upskill – but this is not the only digital help available. Another great tip for female professionals is to catch the latest podcasts and webinars. 

There is a huge choice of both online now, and this means that you can easily find ones from which you can learn new things. Many podcasts and webinars are run by industry experts, so you know that the advice you get can be relied on. Whether you choose a podcast on data analysis or a webinar on decision-making, they can be very helpful. 

Fresh ways to build new skills at work 

Working in the professional business world involves a process of constant learning and constant development. This is actually key to forging a successful career and having the right skills to move up the career ladder.

If you are currently working in a role and are looking for ways to upskill, then the above tips should help. Not only are they pretty easy to follow, but they should also help any female professional achieve what they want out of their career.